William Campbell Block 1
2 & 4 Main Street South, Seaforth, Ontario
( Year built: 1876 )
When William “Tailor” Campbell built a large frame building with three stores on the southeast corner of Main and Goderich Streets early in 1863, there were no other buildings on this side of Main Street from here to the railway station. The land was owned by Coleman and Gouinlock. George Gouinlock had died in 1853 leaving the land in trust to his wife and four children. His widow, Hannah Matilda Chalk, later married Dr. T.T. Coleman. The lands were still in trust for the minor children in 1863. When the building was finished, William Campbell occupied the north part. In the south part, Thomas Chubb had a bookstore and M.R. Counter, a jewelry store.
After the fire of 1876 destroyed his frame build-ing, Campbell built a brick block of two large stores with a hall above the south store. In the spring of 1877, Campbell opened his merchant tailoring and men’s furnishing shop, the New York House, in the north part and continued in business here until 1886. Campbell did his own cutting and usually employed 12 workmen in his tailor shop above his store.
The 2½ storey building is yellow brick with a detailed brickwork frieze below which pilasters meet to form simulated ‘brace’ supports. The cornice has been removed. The four 2nd-storey windows have decorative labels of moulded concrete with imitation central keystone. The large storefront cornice has prominent dentils and is supported by three ornate brackets, one at each end and one separating the two stores. The main floor retains the original door positions and insets. The north storefront is largely original, but the south one has been remodelled. In 1891, B.B. Gunn moved his store north from A.G. Ault’s Block to this location.
There were a number of short-lived businesses in the south store in the first years. Henry Mitchell had a fancy goods and books store in 1878; J.C Smith. & Henry West were here in 1879-80; William N. Watson had his insurance business here in 1880-82; Thomas Coventry, Boots & Shoes, occupied the store in 1883-84. It may have stood vacant then, until Bright Bros. took possession in 1887.
One of the upstairs tenants was Miss E.J. Sleeth. She placed the following advertisement in the January 5, 1883 issue of The Huron Expositor:
Miss Sleeth wishes to announce to the ladies of Seaforth and vicinity that she has removed her dressmaking rooms to Mr. Wm. Campbell’s block, directly over the dry goods store, and also in thanking them for their patronage in the past, would respectfully solicit a continuance of same in future. Entrance between Mr. A.G. Ault’s grocery store and Mr. Campbell’s dry goods store.
The Hall above the stores was used by the Forester’s Order in 1878-79, the 1890s, and from about 1915 to 1927. The Order of Good Templars had rooms in 1878-82. The Orange Order leased rooms in 1888-89 and 1927-1960s.
Jeweler, W.J. Northgraves, occupied the north store after William Campbell, from 1887-89. In 1891, Campbell added to the east of the building. The Huron Expositor reported on Sept. 4, 1891:
Mr. William Campbell has the brick addition to his block nearly completed, and is having the corner store nicely painted and otherwise improved. It will shortly be occupied by Mr. Gunn.
Gunn advertised his store as “The Corner Store with the Blue Front.” He sold fabrics and clothing and was in business here until early 1907.
The May 10, 1907 Huron Expositor announced: “Williams & Purcell – General Merchants for the People - Groceries, Dry Goods, Clothing – Successors to B.B. Gunn – Corner Store.” By 1909, Matthew Williams was operating the business on his own. By 1915, a butcher, Roy Nelson, was here.
Above Photo: Matthew and Kate Williams are two of the people in this circa 1910 photograph. Williams moved to the corner store in 1907, replacing B.B. Gunn.
In January of 1921, F.D. Hutchison, of Mitchell, purchased the grocery business formerly owned by Dorsey & MacKinnon, in the north store, corner of Main and Goderich Streets. The business change was advertised in The Huron Expositor:
Announcement – F.D. Hutchison, having bought the stock of groceries and provisions and leased the premises lately occupied by Mr. Donald E. MacKinnon, North Corner Main and Goderich Streets, is prepared to serve the people of Seaforth and surrounding country with groceries and provisions of good quality at moderate prices. Terms – cash or produce. Under the same roof, at the side entrance from Goderich Street, Mr. Neil Klein hopes to serve all his old customers and many new ones with a choice selection of fresh and cured meats. Hutchison sold groceries here until 1933.
In the 1930s and 1940s, Arthur Rutledge was in business in the north store. William Barber joined Rutledge in 1936 and introduced radio sales into the business. Gordon McGonigle’s grocery was here from 1947 into the late 1960s.
W.D. and A.J. Bright were Merchant Tailors and furnishers of men’s clothing. They had the south part of William Campbell’s block, with workrooms above, from 1887 to 1904. After the Bright Bros. moved out of the south store in late 1904, Mr. A. Dolgoff had a business here for a few years. W.J. Walker, a furniture merchant aged 58; with Alex and Sam Walker as Clerks, was the tenant of the store in the 1915-16. John and Sam Walker had moved their store across the street to Cardno Block by 1920.
Above Photo: Bright Bros. Merchant Tailors & Gent’s Furnishings was run by W.D. and A.J. Bright. They made clothing to order and also sold ready-made clothing. Bright Bros. occupied the south half of William Campbell’s north block from late in 1887 to November 11, 1904 when they moved to Strong’s Block. Below Right: The advertisement below is from The Huron Expositor of March 10, 1893.
Abraham Chiefetz and his brother operated Chiefetz Bros. dry goods in the south store in the 1920s. It seems that the store was largely vacant throughout the 1930s. Elgin Close had his barber-shop here in the 1940s. By 1949, the Crown Hardware store, run by Mervin Nott and Keith Sharp, was in the south store of the block. They were in business here into the late 1960s.
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